The Search for the Perfect T-Shirt | The Union St. Tee

I don’t want to jump the gun on this search, but I think I might have found my perfect t-shirt here. I’ve been enjoying this series so much because each pattern is a little different from the next and everyone has a different definition of a “perfect” t-shirt. That being said, this might be mine!

The Union St. Tee is a basic tee from Hey June Handmade with lots of different customization options. There are four sleeve lengths – short, elbow, 3/4 and long – and two neckline options – scoop or v-neck. In my search, not only was I looking for a t-shirt with the perfect fit, but also one that offered a variety of customization options. So this one totally fits the bill in that department. That’s one of the things I really love about Hey June patterns – there are usually multiple ways to make the pattern making it really a good buy!

Like the rest of the t-shirts I’ve been making recently, this was a quick sew (especially when you’re lazy like me and don’t hem the sleeves or the hem!). I’ve been making so many t-shirts recently, I didn’t even print off the instructions and just made it my own way. That is not helpful though for the purposes of this blog post, so I reviewed the instructions afterwards and found some really cool things:

The pattern includes lots of useful adjustments and how to make them on the patterns including a full bust adjustment and how to shorten or lengthen.

A printing guide for the various layouts – I love when patterns do this! As I recently have been printing a lot of my PDF patterns myself, I like to only put together the pages I need.

The instructions are so detailed and informative. V-necks scare me a little bit, but the instructions are so clear I think I might give it a go!

I also noticed when re-reading the instructions that the size guide is for finished measurements not for the sizing. I picked my size thinking that they were the sizing not the finished measurements but I’m really happy with the fit. So just be aware that the size guide is actually the finished garment measurements – this is nice so you can figure out how much ease you want in the pattern!

While the pattern (and the version I made) has a scoop neck option, it is not a very deep scoop by any means. I think for my next one, I might lower the scoop neck a little bit.

I used a really nice rayon jersey from Imagine Gnats that was actually a J.Crew overrun. The fabric was perfect for a t-shirt.

Right now, the Plantain tee and this tee are tied for my “perfect t-shirt.” I do think this one is winning though because of the different options in the pattern.

So here are the usual stats:

Size Chosen: I sewed up the small which has finished measurements of 36, 34, 39 and my measurements are 36, 29, 39.

The Variations Offered: Lots of variations with this one – scoop or v-neck and short, elbow, 3/4 or long sleeves.

Ease of Construction: Easy! I used my sewing machine to sew all of the top and it came together really quickly.

The Fit: I love the t-shirt so much. I think by making the small, it is fitted in all the right places. I could probably do with hemming it so that it’s not as long, but a longer t-shirt is always better than a shorter one.

This is post 6 of a series of my search for the perfect t-shirt, if you’ve missed the other posts make sure to check out the intro post and the Plantain Tee here, the second post in my series the Sunny Dress here, the third post in my series the Seamly Basic Tee here, the fourth post in my series the Panama Tee here, and the fifth post in my series the Molly Tee and Dress here.